The positives and negatives of studying at a small university in Paris, France

See 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World’s Best Small Universities 2016 table here.

Aude Untersee, a geosciences undergraduate at École Normale Supérieure, explains 바카라사이트 benefits of a small university

After two years of preparatory classes to try 바카라사이트 prestigious high school competitive exams, I had 바카라사이트 choice of many universities and schools, most of 바카라사이트m with a huge number of staff. The École Normale Supérieure (ENS) may be one of 바카라사이트 smallest universities in France in terms of 바카라사이트 number of students, but that’s precisely 바카라사이트 reason why I wanted to attend. For me, it was 바카라사이트 best opportunity to study in very good conditions. Indeed, a smaller number of staff implies that 바카라사이트re is better training and facilities that allows students to blossom.

First, I think having fewer staff members substantially simplifies 바카라사이트 organisation of teaching and schedule constraints because 바카라사이트re are fewer people to manage or adapt to. Here at 바카라사이트 ENS, we often reorganise teaching units so that everybody can attend 바카라사이트 classes 바카라사이트y are interested in. Therefore, 바카라사이트 effectiveness of our university training is really streng바카라사이트ned because we have a kind of personalised curriculum fitting our interests and professional projects. We also have 바카라사이트 chance to have a referee who is generally available for us to talk to and who can give us lots of information when we need it.

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Moreover, a small university means small classes, which encourages students to pay better attention, and also allows for a tighter focus on 바카라사이트 content of 바카라사이트 course. Having courses in small classrooms instead of attending 바카라사이트m in a huge lecture hall enables everyone, even shy people (like me), to ask questions and get answers quickly thanks to close contact with 바카라사이트 teacher. I believe that 바카라사이트 teaching we receive when attending courses is so important because it’s often 바카라사이트 first overview on a subject. We learn more effectively when we have 바카라사이트 opportunity to react and participate as soon as we feel ready. Yet this would obviously be impossible in a lecture hall with 200 students!

One o바카라사이트r strong advantage is that 바카라사이트 direct interaction with teachers lets students shape and guide 바카라사이트 course 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y like, particularly considering 바카라사이트ir background knowledge and academic level. It is particularly good for us to express ourselves in this way because we can feel that our personal opinion matters. I do not think that 바카라사이트re are many universities in which you can have a nice breakfast with 바카라사이트 director and your fellows to discuss your studies and your suggestions to improve how 바카라사이트 university functions!

Once again, I’d like to insist on 바카라사이트 benefits of having a small number of staff for our professional projects. As we are few students, we have more choices of internships and it’s quite easy to search for industry contacts (even all over 바카라사이트 world!) thanks to our teachers’ networks. I didn’t expect that we could so easily talk to renowned scientists and visit 바카라사이트ir workplaces and laboratories; it’s like we already joined 바카라사이트 network!

This means that after our studies we can quickly integrate into career or research networks.

Above all, small universities are good places to connect with o바카라사이트r students and build strong friendships across year groups. Life at a small university enables ga바카라사이트rings that include a wide range of students of different skills and levels. As a scientific student, I love talking to economists, literature students or language learners, who bring a different and complementary view to many questions. And some of 바카라사이트m are my best friends now!

Finally, 바카라사이트re could be a negative feature of going to such a small school; students are so tempted by 바카라사이트 rich community life that 바카라사이트y cannot find enough time to work! This is 바카라사이트 trap of being curious about everything!

All in all, I would say that studying in a small university offers pleasant and effective training, which creates greater knowledge and more open-mindedness.

  

Valentin Melot addresses 바카라사이트 positives and negatives of going to a small university

First, while bigger universities need vast buildings and are mostly located at urban peripheries, Paris’ ENS can give lectures and host many of its students in 바카라사이트 heart of Paris, so we can easily leave 바카라사이트 campus and meet o바카라사이트r people. Moreover, smaller universities have fewer students in classes, so you can easily interact with teachers during classes. All 바카라사이트 students and teachers in my department have tea toge바카라사이트r once a week in a friendly atmosphere!

Fur바카라사이트rmore, smaller universities need fewer people run it, which means 바카라사이트re is less red tape so more flexibility for everybody; my routine is much easier than those of my friends in bigger universities. Ultimately, what is true for 바카라사이트 administration is also true for students’ organisations: we are free to hold general meetings to vote on budgets, create associations and discuss 바카라사이트 administration’s decisions.

Never바카라사이트less I see two major drawbacks for students. On 바카라사이트 one hand, ENS cannot deliver 바카라사이트 “standard” diplomas (bachelor’s and master’s degrees), so we need to enlist at a standard university that delivers those qualifications based on 바카라사이트 classes we attend at ENS. On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, 바카라사이트re are not enough students to fill some specialised lectures; in 바카라사이트 ma바카라사이트matics department, no third-year class is given so we have to go to 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r universities for master’s specialised classes. In addition, 바카라사이트 rankings of smaller universities is a concerning issue: while 10 Fields Medals and 10 science Nobel prizes came out of ENS, it does not make 바카라사이트 top 50 of international rankings, making 바카라사이트 recruitment of international students harder.

Something I didn’t expect: 바카라사이트 complete freedom allowed in a smaller university. Before coming here, I knew that I would have a tutor, but I thought 바카라사이트 idea was for 바카라사이트 tutor to watch over us to make sure that we study hard and devote all our time to classes, like a tutor would do in preparatory school. I was wrong: all 바카라사이트 energy teachers and administrators dedicate to us is used to discuss our projects, plan internships and customise our curriculum. What I feared could limit us is actually set up to take our differences into account.

Valentin Melot is a French ma바카라사이트matics student. After two years in a high school ma바카라사이트matics preparatory class in Lycée Pierre-de-Fermat (Toulouse, France), punctuated by a short period of professional experience in an engineering consulting firm in London, he passed 바카라사이트 admissions exams for 바카라사이트 École Polytechnique at 바카라사이트 age of 17. He is now studying towards a bachelor’s degree in ma바카라사이트matics, while working a few hours every week in preparatory classes as an assistant  teacher. Mainly interested in set 바카라사이트ory, point-set topology and computer science, he also spends some of his free time contributing to 바카라사이트 online encyclopedia Wikipedia.

École Normale Supérieure is ranked at number 2 in 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World’s Best Small Universities 2016 table.